"Still at it 20 years later is crazy": Klay Thompson shares heartfelt message on post-workout picture with $8,000,000 Utah Jazz star

NBA stars Klay Thompson and Kevin Love are preparing for training camp, which is set to begin in a few days across the league. The two childhood friends chose to work out together before reporting to their respective teams, the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz. Thompson shared a few photos of their time together and captioned the collection with:

“Still at it 20 years later is crazy.”

Thompson and Love, who signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Miami Heat in 2024, grew up together in Lake Oswego, Oregon. They played baseball during fifth and sixth grades and nearly led their team to a Little League World Series appearance.

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Although they did suit up for the Lake Oswego High School basketball team together, which Love starred in, they often have fun on the court. Thompson shared a photo of his brother, Mychel Thompson, and Love wearing the same basketball uniform.

Klay Thompson left Oregon to play basketball in Santa Margarita, California. He finished his collegiate hoops career with Washington State before entering the NBA in 2011.

Kevin Love, a highly recruited prospect, played one season for UCLA before jumping to the pros. He played six seasons for the Timberwolves, over eight with the Cleveland Cavaliers and three with the Miami Heat. The Heat traded him to the Utah Jazz in the offseason in a three-team deal.

Despite time and distance, the Thompson-Love friendship remains as close as ever.

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Kevin Love and Klay Thompson were nearly traded for each other

In the summer of 2014, Kevin Love, then a three-time NBA All-Star with the Minnesota Timberwolves, wanted out of Minneapolis. Among the interested teams was the Golden State Warriors. To acquire Love, the Timberwolves wanted Golden State to include Thompson in the trade.

The late Jerry West, the Warriors’ former lead consultant, reportedly threatened to resign if the top executives included Klay Thompson in the potential trade. Newly hired Warriors coach Steve Kerr also wanted to keep the shooting guard playing alongside Steph Curry.

Eventually, the Warriors decided against the trade and gave Klay Thompson a maximum contract extension. Thompson would become an All-Star for five consecutive seasons after the failed trade and helped the Warriors win four championships in ten years before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2024.

Kevin Love found a home with the Cleveland Cavaliers after a three-team deal. Love would help the Cavs to the 2016 championship at his childhood friend’s expense.

Edited by Michael Macasero